School Concilor made me SICK

[Jimbo10]

A bit ago, I went to see my school counsilor to just talk, and make sure I was in all the right classes for the faculty of science, and mainly Medical School at University.

 

I'd never talked w/ her 1 on 1, because she is a new cousillor, you get a different for grade 11-12, than 8-10.

 

I've always got great marks in science in school, A's, a few B's. So, she looked at just 1 term of Chemestry and Math (1/4 of the school year) and told me my marks wern't good enough. She said she couldn't see me in sciences, or as a doctor..... I responded that it was only 1 term, and I was just having troubles understanding a few consepts, and the teacher, and I'd always got great marks in science every time before that one little term!

"It get's hard for real from here" she responded.

Basically, she shot down my dream I've had for so long. People seem to like her, I just can't help thinking what if she's right???

 

I've had a headache for like 5 days over this ordeal. My school counsilor doesn't think I have what it takes, and apparently, she is supposed to be very good... This is the first time in my life anyone has told me my marks weren't good enough. It's the first time someone has told me my goals weren't reachable. I've always had some of the highest marks in the grade, but I just can't help but think... this is her job, to keep kids on track and keep their goals reasonable. Help them get as far in life as they can be, but she's telling me to rethink this......

 

Maybe the what i've said just makes her look like a bag, you might think I should just forget it, but it was a slap in the face!! I can't get it off my head she could be right! Maybe it is too hard, maybe for being a doctor, you need to be able to ace grade 8-10.....

 

I'm so rattled, I don't even actually know what I'm asking for from you guys....could you all maybe just throw me your advise, and your thoughts and imput???? Anything possitive or negative is good, i don't think it could be that negative, I feel like I've been shot in the back.

[Mun]

Hey don't let that get you down. You follow your dreams and you try your best until you yourself decide if this is not what you want to do. No matter how hard she tries she cannot predict the future.

 

There is a joke that says" what do you call the doctor who graduated last in his class?

 

You call him Doctor--he graduated even though he was last " ( I'm pretty sure alot of them had bad semesters too. They were students once just like you are )

 

Chin up!

[ayekasong]

Einstein failed math. Read interviews from famous stars - almost all sucessful ones were told they would never make it.

 

Don't let what one person - even if it is a person in authority - says get you down. If you work hard and pursue your dreams, you can, and will, achieve them.

 

And really, if this was your first meeting with her, how can she really know enough about you to see you, or not see you, in a field? You've done great in your other classes, maybe you are just having an "off" semester. It happens to all of us.

 

To be honest with you, I was never fond of my school counselors either. In high school, they told me I didn't have high enough marks to take AP English (so I wouldn't have to take it in college). Guess what, at university, I tested out of the class without ever haven taken AP English. Whatever you do, don't give up your dreams, because they are what keep us alive and help us up when we fall.

[winkie]

OK how about this...she does not see your potential and she is not you. I feel as being a teacher you can achieve anything if you puit your mind to it. PLease do not let anyone shatter your dream. Who is she to say that to you ...counselor or no counselor. I would like to talk to her myself...ya know what you go for what you want knowing you are going to prove her wrong. ALso, I am sorry to say she may not be the only one that will try to interfere in your goal but remember it is your goal no one elses.

 

I wish you good look on all your endeavors.

[mt_joy]

Don't let that idiot get to you. I don't know why she is trying to shoot down your dreams. Don't let her get to you! Can you get a new counselor? Keep striving for your dream! You can do it.

[arrowbee]

Speaking from personal experience, most guidance counselors are unethical brainless pigs, or worse. They are not looking out for your wellbeing: they are only interested in making sure The System runs smoothly.

 

I had the opposite problem from your problem.

 

When I was 17 years old, I told my guidance counsellor that I wanted to go to cooking school to become a chef. (yes, really!) he told me, "no, your grades are too good. You should go to university and study mathematics. Let the DUMB kids learn to cook." So, being a young and impressionable 17-year-old, I took his advice and enrolled in a math program at a major university. It was hell. It rotted my brain, took two years of my life away, and killed what little interest I may have had in maths.

 

I am going to make up for lost time. I have finally enrolled in cooking school. I start on March 5th.

 

Never listen to anything a school counselor tells you. Make your own decisions. Counselors talk a lot, but they have no real power. You are free to ignore their advice, and that's what you need to do.

 

If I ever meet my old counselor, he and I are going to have a little talk...

[Jimbo10]

You guys are right, Sunday night blues! It's just hard when the person who's job it is to help to achieve your goals, is the one to shoot you down!

 

 

Good job arrowbee! I'm a cook at a great Bistro, it's stressful, for sure, but pretty fun, and the pay is good too! The head chef is award winning, if you have any serious questions, let me know and i'll ask for you!!!

 

Thanks all

Jimbo.

[ComputerGuy]

As a standard rule as soon as someone tells me I cant do something, or to do something else cause they know what's best for me, I make it a specific point to do things my way to rub it in that they were wrong. Anyone who knows me knows not to tell me I cant do something.

[Kaia]

Hi Jimbo,

 

I notice you put your location as Canada, so I can tell you a lil bit about application to med schools in Canada if you haven't researched into those already. You pretty much need to be at your 3rd/4th year in undergrad before you can apply to medical schools in Canada anyway, so the marks in grade 8-10 definitely don't matter. In some sense, the marks you get in grade 11-12 don't matter either.

 

In general, med schools don't look for applicants from specific undergrad program. You can be studying math in undergrad and still apply to med school. But it is true that a lot of people go from the science route, if you sit in U of T first year biol class, you'd see at least 70% of the people there want to be doctors. What you need to do is to distinguish yourself from the crowd. Med schools look at your undergrad mark, MCAT score, and your profile (u need to write about why you want to be a doctor, etc). Your personality and what makes you you is as important, if not more, as your marks.

 

So don't let the guidance counsellor discourage you, think why you want to be one first because later on you need to convince other people why they should let u be one

 

But back to reality check, of course if you are deeply struggling with bio/chem courses right now, you might want to rethink a little on other career choices.

[freeben321]

sometimes a counselor will tell you what they think you need to hear in order to get motivated to work a lot harder.

 

If said in the right context, telling someone they can't do something will light a fire under them to do just that.